The symphony was written between 1894 and 1896 and was performed when the composer was aged 30 in the Concerts de l'Opéra on 3 January 1897, conducted by Vidal.[1] It is written for a standard orchestra comprising three flutes (the third doubling piccolo), two oboes (the first doubling cor anglais), two clarinets in B-flat and A, two bassoons, four French horns in F (third and fourth also in E), two trumpets in F, piccolo trumpet in D, three trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings.
Like César Franck's only symphony, Dukas' is in three movements rather than the conventional four:
The first movement is a modified sonata form allegro with three themes. The second movement is also in sonata form, but only with two themes. The finale is an ABACA rondo.
^ abcSchwartz, Manuela, and G.W. Hopkins. "Dukas, Paul", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, 2001. Retrieved 20 June 2021 (subscription required)
^p. 65, Trotter (2003) William R. New York Priest of Music: The Life of Dimitri Mitropoulos Amadeus Press
Further reading
Deruchie, Andrew. 2013. The French Symphony at the Fin de Siècle. New York: University of Rochester Press. ISBN978-1-58046-382-9. Chapter 7.
External links
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